Gate operating means



Nov. 30, 1948. 1. B. McKEOWN 2,455,018

GATE OPERATING MEANS Filed Dec. 11, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 \RMA B. McKEOyvN 3mm Nov. 30', 1948. 1. B. MCKEOWN 2,455,018

GATE OPERATING MEANS Filed Dec. 11, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet s IRMA bvMCKEOWN Elma/M04 Patented Nov. 30, 1948 "UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE 2,455,018 GATE OPERATING'MEANS IrmalBL MlcKeown, Charlotte, N. C.

Application'Decenrrher 11, 1944, Serial Nor- 67,7 51 (o1. a9--52) 2 Claims. 1 This invention relates -.to closure operatin means and more-especially to meansfor opening and closing a gate or pair of gates from a point located distantly from thecgate.

In'large industrial establishments, a fence usually-surrounds the grounds on which the plant is located and one or more-gates, of course, are provided for ingress and egress to the grounds and the plant therein. Also it is necessary to keep the gate locked at all times in many instances, and it is inconvenient to operate these gates by sending a person to the gate for opening and closing the same. It would also be very expensive to employ a gatekeeper for an occasional opening and closing and locking of the ate.

It is an object of this invention to provide gate operating means located in a building or other location remotely located from the gate, whereby the gate can be unlockedand can be opened by an operator disposed within the building, the

- building being locked atallvtimes when an attendantis-not present to operate the gate, thus -making it impossible for intruders to scale the fence and operate the gatefrom the inside, even though the operating means are located on the inside, and even though the operating means were located some distance away from'the fence onthe inside thereof.

It is another object of this invention toprovide means for opening and closing agate wherebythe same not onlycan be manually operated ii -desired, but can be electrically operated by remotely controlled. switchesso that one switch can be pressed for unlocking the gate, and another switch can be pressed for actuating the closure operating means for opening-the gate, and then when it is desired to do so, the same means can be operated to returnthe gate to closed position and. the locking means can also be remotely controlled for unlocking, and the locking means are adapted;to-automatically lock the gateafter the gate has becomeelosed, whenthe means for holdingthe locking means in open position have been released ormoved to allow the locking means to return to locking position.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated. other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a double gate showing my invention applied thereto, and showing a portion of :the invention disposed below the ground line;

Figure 2 ha horizontal sectional view taken alongzthe line 22: inFigure. 1;

Figure '3 is an enlarged elevation takenalon the line '3--3 in Figure 1;

.Figure'kl is a vertical sectional View taken along the lined-4 in Figure :2

Figure -5 is an enlarged detail view showing the looking or latchoperating means in a position where the latch or lockingmeans are held in closed position;

Figure 6 is an elevation of Figure 5 looking from along the line 6-6 in Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a modified view of electrical means for operating the locking means instead of the conventional bell crank manually operated lever;

Figure 8 is an elevation looking along the line 8-5 in Figure 3; and showing the looking or latch operating means in open position;

Figure 9 is a view-similar tolFigure 8, but showing the latching or locking means in closed or locked position; v

Figure 10 is a horizontalsectional view taken along the line ill-l0 in Figure 1;

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional viewtaken along the line l-lll in Figure 1;

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the closure operating means'and looking from along the-line l2-l2 in Figure 1;

Figure 13 is a modified form of Figure 12,.and showing electrical 'means for actuating .the closure operating means;

Figure 14 is a cross sectional viewtaken along the line i l-14 in Figure 12;

Figure 15 is a front elevational of the proximate portions of the gates Hand .24.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, thenumerals ill and ill indicate upright posts properly secured in the ground, the ground line being indicated by numeral 8. Post I10 has suitable conventional hinges l2 and I3 secured thereon vwhich .hingedly support a gate M which comprises uprights l5 and IS with horizontal bars I1, l8, and H. The .post ll has conventional hinges so and H thereon which are identical to the hinges l2 and I3v and theylsupport a gate 24in the same manner as described for gate "M. The gate 24 comprises upright members 25 and 26 with horizontal members 21, 28, and29.

The upright 16 .of gate M has a pair of brackets 39 and-42 thereon in which rods '32 and 33 are slidablymounted, the proximate ends of these rods being pivotally connected to a hand lever 34 as at 35 and 36. The lever 34 is pivoted at'22 to upright 16. The rods '32 and 33 have thereon latch members .31 and 38 whichhave notches therein which are adapted to engage bars 40 and AI mounted on the upright member 25 or gateM. This lockingmeans is conventionalland it is with this that I provided remote means for actuating thelever34, rods32 and 3.3, .tolatcli the two gates together or to unlatch same. The rear surface of upright l6 has-bars 30 and 3! secured thereon against which the upright :26 strikes when .gate 24 moves to closed position,

0n upright [6 there is pivotedca lever intermediate its ends and toronezof its: ends there is pivotally connected a link 46 which is pivotally connected to the rod 32. Pivoted as at 48 on upright [9 is a cam 49 which has in the outer free end thereof, a pivoted connection which the upper end of a rod 59, whose lower end is connected to one end of a bell crank 52 pivoted on the horizontal portion I8 of gate I4.

Pivoted to the other end of bell crank 52 is a rod 53 which is pivoted to one end of a bell crank 54 which is pivotally mounted on upright I and the other end of this bell crank 54 has connected thereto a cable 55 which extends over a pulley 56 mounted in a framework 51, and this pulley extends through an underground pipe 58 to a remote point, such as a guard house or a building located inside the fence, where it is connected to one end of a bell crank lever 69 pivoted as at El and has a handle portion 92with a pin 63 therein.

In the position shown in Figure l, the gate is in normal unlatched position, being held in this position by tension spring 59 secured to the lever 34 and to the wire netting 66. By rotating the bell crank lever on its pivot BI in a counterclockwise manner from the position shown in the upper left hand corner of Figure l to the position shown in Figure 5 to where the pin 63 engages the rod 64, the cam 9'9 will therefore rotate lever in a counter-clockwise manner to move the latch 31 upwardly to engage :bar ll and this will also move latch or dog 38 downwardly to engage bar 42 to thus lock the gate in position. The lower end of rodfi l is connected to the cable after it passes through the underground pipe 59.

The hinges I2, i3, 29 and 2! are conventional hinges and are shown in detail in Figure 11 and comprises a collar 66 secured around the upright posts and having a bracket 6'1 pivotally secured to the collar 99 as at 68 and the bracket 51 is secured around the outer upright of each gate by any suitable means, such as a U-bolt 69. V

Secured on the upright I5 is a member I9 and on upright 25 of the other gate 24 there is secured a similar member 19', the two members being identical except that they are opposite hand, anda description of one will suifice for the other. These members have arms H and l2 to which cables '13 and M are secured at one end.

Secured around post Iii is a bracket 15 and a similar bracket i5 is secured around post II, it being identical to bracket #5 except that it is opposite hand. The bracket I5 has upper and lower arms, both designated by reference character I5, and between these is pivotally mounted a pair of U-shaped members It, each having a pulley 'I'I therein over which cables I3 and I9 pass, .the cable 73 passing through an underground pipe 89, and the cable 14 passing through an underground pipe 8| to a remote portion of the premises Where the structure shown in the lower left hand corner of Figure l and in Figures 12 and 13 is located.

In Figure 1 the winding drums are shown as being underground, but it is only for lack of space as this winding mechanism is usually located adjacent to the bell crank comprising member and G2 in theguardhouse or watchmans house or some other place on the premises.

The cables I3 and M, after passing through the underground pipes 89 and SI are connected to suitable turnbuckles 82 and 93 which in turn are connected to a cable 84 wound around a drum 85 mounted for rotation in a framework 86 and having a pinion 81 fixed thereon.

The bracket I0 is identical to bracket 70 already described and has cables 90 and 9|, the cable 9| not being shown in the right hand portion of Figure l, but being on the remote side of the structure as shown in the right hand portion of Figure 1, and these cables 90 and 9| pass over suitable pulleys 92 which are identical to the pulleys '11 shown and described in the left hand side of Figure 1 and also described in Figures 2 and 4.

The cables 90 and 9I pass through underground pipes 94 and to suitable turnbuckles 9B and 91 which are connected to a cable 98 which is wound around a drum 99 mounted in the framework 86 and having a pinion I99 fixed thereon.

There is also a shaft IOI mounted in the framework 86 and has a pinion I92 thereon which connects with both pinions 81 and I9!) and a suitable crank I93 is fixedly mounted on the pinion I92 so that when a crank I03 is turned, the pinion 192 will rotate and the cylinders or drums 85 and 99 will be rotated to wind the cables 84 and 98 therearound to open or close the gates depending upon what direction the crank is turned.

The pinion I92 is loosely confined against a stop I94 fixed on shaft lol. The shaft I8! is welded at one end to the framework 96, or shaft I9! may, if desired, have a friction clutch plate or disc I95 fixed on a disc I96 fixed on the shaft NH and the pinion I02 would be loose on shaft IQI, and instead of having a crank I93 shown in Figure 12, a gear motor IIll can be employed which is connected in a conventional manner to shaft IilI for imparting rotation to the pinion I92 to also turn pinions 81 and I99 and the drums 85 and 99 to which they are secured. v

The gates may be unlocked by electrical means instead of by manual means, and in such instance, a bell crank lever H5 is pivoted as at BI in the same manner as the manually operated bell crank lever and this bell crank lever [I5 has its long arm connected to rod Stand the short arm is connected to a link I I6 which in turn is connected to the core II? of the solenoid H8 which has suitable wires H9 and I29 leading to a switch or push button I2I. It is seen that by pushing the push button I2I the bell crank lever H5 will be operated to unlatch the gate in the same manner as if the manually operated means were employed.

In case the winding drum should be desired to be operated electrically from a remote point instead of by a hand crank, the gear motor H9 is connected as previously described and has wires I22 and I23'leading to a remote point and connected to a push button I24 so that after the gates are unlocked by pushing on push botton I 2 I, push button I 24 can then be pushed while the push button I29 is still held in contact position to operate the gate opening and closing mechanism.

It might be stated that the winding on the drums and the diameter of the drums, drum 85 being of greater diameter than drum 99 and, the connection to the arms I9 and I9 is such that after the locking means has been moved to unlocked position, the gate M will move at a faster rate than gate 24 in opening and closing. In moving the gates to closed position, the arrangement is such that the gate It will move to closed position ahead of the gate 24, the gate 29 moving in behind the gate I4 to closed position to where'the locking means can be released to automatically lock the two gates in position.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. An enclosure having an opening provided with a vertically disposed post at each side of the opening, a pair of gates disposed in side-byside relation for closing the opening, each of said gates having vertically disposed outer frame members disposed in alinement with the posts on each side of the enclosure and pivotally mounted on the posts, each post having mounted thereon a pair of laterally extending arms each provided with a pulley, the outer frame member of each gate having thereon a pair of arms to the end of each of which a cable is attached, a pair of drums disposed in side-by-side relation and located remotely from the enclosure, said drums having a medial portion of a cable Wound therearound and the two ends of the cable on one drum extending to one set of said pulleys and being attached to the arms extending laterally from the vertically disposed outer framemember of one gate, and the two ends of the cable on the other drum extending to the other set 01 pulleys and being attached to the arms on the other gate.

2. An enclosure having an opening and a post disposed on each side of the opening, a pair of gates disposed between the posts for closing the opening, said gates having their remote edges pivotally mounted on the posts for horizontal swinging movement, each of said gates having a pair of arms extending in opposite directions Number inwardly and outwardly of the enclosure, each of posts having laterally directed arms each provided with a pulley, a pair of drums disposed in side-by-side relation and common means for imparting rotation to the drums simultaneously, one of said drums being of a larger diameter than the other, each of said drums having wound therearound the medial portion of a cable, the ends of one of the cables extending to the pulleys mounted in the outer ends of the pair of arms on one of said posts and passing therethrough and being secured to the outer ends of the two arms on the outer portion of one of the gates and the ends of the cable on the other drum passing over the other set of pulleys and being secured to the arms on the other gate whereby when rotation is imparted to the drums, one of the gates will travel at its outer portion at a greater rate than the other to hereby move away and out of contact with the other gate immediately upon an opening operation.

IRMA B. MOKEOWN.

REFERENCES CHTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date DeI-Ioog Mar. 29, 1910 Warden et a1 July 18, 1911 Webb Sept. 13, 192'? Meissner Mar. 8, 1932 Colman June 13, 1933 Gross May '7, 1935 

